The instant invention relates to planetary napping machines, and more particularly to a napping roll drum assembly for such a machine.
Planetary napping machines have heretofore been known in the art, and in this regard, the U.S. Pat. Nos. to Greene No. 522,560; Greene No. 1,020,280; Greene 1,030,657; and Gessner No. 1,230,828 represent the closest prior art to the subject invention of which the Applicant is aware. The planetary napping machines as described in the above-noted patents are of the type in which the napping drums have a shaft carrying spaced cylinder heads, each cylinder head having a plurality of circumferentially spaced bearings or seats in which revolve the journals of one or two series of napping rollers that are covered with wire points. A nap surface is produced upon cloth by running the cloth in contact with the napping drum, the wire points being brought into contact with the cloth as the cloth passes over the napping drum.
Although the existing machines are effective and durable, they have several design aspects which make it very difficult, cumbersome and expensive to perform repair work. For example, the existing drive mechanisms rely on complex gear trains and/or chains and/or belts to drive the drum and the napping rollers. Although the drive mechanisms are effective and durable, the components are expensive to replace, and difficult to disassemble and re-assemble. As these older machines continue to age they increasingly require servicing. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simplified napping roll drum and cylinder head construction which facilitates servicing of the apparatus.
The instant invention provides an improved planetary napping machine wherein individual napping rolls can be easily removed from the napping roll drum for service or replacement and further wherein drive system(s) for the napping rollers is/are mounted directly on the drum thus eliminating the need for complex drive systems to drive the rollers from an exterior drive source. The planetary napping machine includes a frame assembly and a napping roll drum assembly having a main shaft which is rotatably supported between two spaced walls of the frame. One end of the main shaft passes through one of the walls for engagement with a drive assembly to drive rotation of the napping roll drum relative to the frame. The drum assembly includes spaced cylinder heads which are mounted on the main shaft, and one or two sets of napping rollers each having first and second ends which are respectively rotatably journaled in bearing assemblies which are circumferentially spaced around said first and second cylinder heads. In a dual-action planetary napping machine as will be described hereinafter, the first ends of the first set of napping rollers have extended end portions which extend through the bearing assemblies on the first cylinder head while the first ends of the second set of napping rollers having extended end portions which extend through the bearing assemblies on the second cylinder head. The drum assembly still further includes first and second drive motors respectively mounted on the first and second cylinder heads. A belt pulley is carried on the extended terminal end portions of the first end of each of the napping rollers and a drive pulley is carried on the drive shaft of each of the napping roller drive shafts. Endless belts are interwoven about the drive pulley and belt pulleys on each end of the drum assembly. The first drive motor drives the first set of rolls at one speed while the second drive motor drives the second set of rollers at a second speed. Each of the cylinder heads includes a cylindrical body portion having a circumferential edge, and a plurality of bearing assemblies mounted about the circumference of the body portion. Each of the bearing assemblies is individually removable from the body portion without affecting the adjacent bearing assemblies.
Accordingly, among the specific objects of the present invention are: the provision of a napping roll drum assembly wherein the drive motors for driving rotation of the napping rollers are directly mounted within the drum; the provision of such a napping roll drum assembly wherein the drive motors are mounted to the cylinder heads, and belt assemblies at each end of the drum drive rotation of the napping rollers relative to the cylinder heads; the provision of a cylinder head construction wherein the cylinder head includes a cylindrical body portion and a plurality of bearing assemblies mounted around the circumference of the body portion; and the provision of such a cylinder head wherein each of the bearing assemblies is individually mounted to the body portion.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.